Thanks to AmmoKan and for following/favoriting! I am really surprised every time I get an email from fanfiction (although they still end in my spam folder however I try to avoid that) that people are actually reading and liking what I write. Also sorry for the delay in posting - I started writing thinking I'd had a lot of time but I got caught up with work instead. Still, better that than unemployed...
Anyway, this is a bit short, I'm afraid. I just don't like to cut the text.
Chapter 9
"Nice!", the Doctor smiles. I don't think the Tardis ever rocks (or rocked? or will rock?) this much when the Master or River, or Amy or, well, basically just anyone who's not the Doctor is (or was? or will be?) piloting. Because he says nice, but we're just jumping back and forth. It's not a steady drive at all, but I guess since he's the one teaching me, I can only be this good.
"Where are we going?", Donna asks, while I end up on the jump seat for the third time.
"Set the controls to random", the Doctor nods at me. He looks childishly happy. "Mystery tour. Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, anywhen in the whole wide u- Are you all right?", he suddenly asks, looking at Donna who's almost shaking.
"Terrified. I mean, history's one thing but an alien planet?", she says. I think I recognize that feeling.
"I could always take you home", he offers, joking.
"Yeah, don't laugh at me".
"We know what it's like. Everything you're feeling right now. The fear, the joy, the wonder? I get that".
She looks surprised at the both of us. "Seriously? After all this time?".
"Yeah. Why do you think I keep going?", he smiles.
"Oh. All right then, you and me both. This is barmy", she says, heading for the door while the Doctor picks up his Joplin coat from the coral pillar where it usually sits. "I was born in Chiswick. I've only ever had package holidays. Now I'm here. This is so... I mean it's... I don't know, it's all sort of... I don't even know what the word is!", she says, excited, then pauses right outside. "Oh, I've got the word. Freezing".
I zip my black hoodie - the one my friend Paul lent me so long ago - up to the neck, as I follow the Doctor outside. We're on top of a snowy hill, the view is breathtaking.
"Snow! Oh, real snow. Proper snow at last! That's more like it. Lovely. What do you think?", he asks, cheerful.
"Bit cold", Donna says. Fair enough, she's only wearing a sundress.
"Look at that view", the Doctor says, gazing down at some icy ravines where rock bridges look decorated with massive icicles.
"Yep. Beautiful, cold view", Donna repeats.
"Millions of planets, millions of galaxies, and we're on this one. Molto bene. Bellissimo, says Donna, born in Chiswick. All you've got is a life of work and sleep, and telly and rent and tax and takeaway dinners, all birthdays and Christmases and two weeks holiday a year, and then you end up here. Donna Noble, citizen of the Earth, standing on a different planet. How about that Donna?".
"She went back", I say, smiling. It's hard not to smile when the Doctor smiles so broadly.
He keeps beaming around, then his eyes stop on me. "It's good to see you smile, you know".
"Likewise", I grin back at him. "You're right, this is beautiful", I add, looking around at the white landscape.
"Sorry, you were saying?", Donna says, joining us - this time wearing a big coat with a fur collared hood. She looks like a posh version of Kenny from South Park.
"Better?", I ask her.
"Lovely, thanks.
"Comfy?", the Doctor asks, hands in his pockets, as we all start walking.
"Yep".
"Can you hear anything inside that?". I doubt it.
"Pardon?".
"All right, I was saying, citizen of the Earth...", he starts, but he's interrupted by a loud noise when a giant space rocket glides slowly above us.
"Rocket! Blimey, a real proper rocket!", Donna whispers, bewildered. "Now that's what I call a spaceship. You've got a box, he's got a Ferrari. Come on, lets go see where he's going".
The Doctor stands still for an instant, turning to look at the Tardis, and I bet he's offended by her you've got a box. I giggle. "Oh, don't start", he groans, elbowing my side, before following Donna.
It's not properly a road, nor a path, but we're not even in winter wilderness. The view really is beautiful, not something you see in England very often. Wonder if it ever snowed on Gallifrey? I look at the Doctor and Donna, humming Vivaldi's Winter, which makes me giggle because usually classical music is the Doctor's thing. Wow, I really am in a happy mood today. I got the screwdriver working, and we're on a beautiful planet.
I'm following the Doctor and Donna who are chatting away. I like Donna, she's really as great as I thought the first time I met her. And she's good for the Doctor. He really started to smile again only just recently, and Donna's friendship must be the reason.
"Hold on, can you hear that?", the Doctor says as we reach the end of a rock bridge. "Donna, take your hood down".
"What?".
"That noise is like a song".
"Wasn't that Zoe humming very badly?".
He turns to look at me, but I've actually stopped because a sharp sting of headache hit me suddenly. But wait, I'm hearing the noise which is like a song.
"Over there", the Doctor sprints, and we follow. This... song is so sad and filled with pain. What is this? And who's... that?
"What is it?", Donna asks, lowering on the alien half covered in snow. Is that his voice I'm hearing?
"An Ood. He's called an Ood", the Doctor explains. "Zoe, ever seen one of them befo-are you all right?".
"I don't think so. I don't think I've ever seen one. But I'm fine, just a bit of a headache". Well I did see one of those before, I've drawn one for a tv pilot that never got greenlighted. Always a bit disappointing to find out something I thought I created actually already existed.
"But its face...", Donna says. Well, his face doesn't exactly look all right. But it's just what his species looks like. I'm not a specie-ist.
"Donna, don't. Not now. It's a he, not an it. Give me a hand", he instructs Donna.
"Sorry", Donna apologizes.
"I don't know where the heart is. I don't know if he's got a heart. Talk to him, keep him going", he says, looking at him closely.
"It's all right, we've got you. Er, what's your name?", Donna asks.
"Designated Ood Delta 50", the Ood says, his voice coming from the translucent white ball he's holding. He doesn't sound well.
Donna holds the ball into her hands, speaking into it. "My name's Donna".
"No. No, no, no. You don't need to", the Doctor corrects her.
"Sorry. Oh, God. This is the Doctor. Just what you need, a doctor. Couldn't be better, hey?", she says, trying to sound reassuring.
"You've been shot", I say.
"The circle", Ood Delta 50 says. My headache is going worse.
"No, don't try to talk", Donna insists.
"The circle must be broken", the Ood repeats.
"Circle? What do you mean? Delta 50, what circle? Delta 50? What circle?", the Doctor asks impatiently.
Then, all of a sudden, Delta 50 sits up with a roar, and his eyes are red and scary, and before I know I'm drawing the laser screwdriver from my pocket, but even before I aim, the Ood exhales and falls back dead.
"He's gone", Donna says. So is my headache.
"Careful", the Doctor warns her as she tries to soothe the alien.
"There you are, sweetheart", Donna says kindly, but the Doctor is already looking daggers at me. Of course he didn't miss my move.
He opens his hand to me.
I ignore him. Pretend I don't understand what he wants.
"I thought you were fixing that thing", he says, wiggling his fingers.
"I did fix it", I say.
He seems to understand I'm not letting him have it, so he retracts his hand.
"Still looks like a weapon to me", he says with a wary look.
"It's only cautionary", I say.
"Zoe...", he says, tilting his head, the vowels stretching.
"Come on, I wasn't going to shoot him!", I protest. "It was just a precaution".
"We were too late anyway. What do we do, do we bury him?", Donna asks, changing the subject. I'm so glad Donna is here with us.
"The snow'll take care of that", the Doctor says, his focus back on the Ood. I can't believe I'm still surprised as how quickly he can switch his mood from worriedly angry to caring and inquisitive.
"Who was he? What's an Ood?", Donna asks.
"They're servants of humans in the forty second century. Mildly telepathic. That was the song. It was his mind calling out", he says.
"I couldn't hear anything". Donna says.
"He sang as he was dying", I add.
The Doctor gives me a look that hides something else he wanted to say, then turns to the Ood again. "His eyes turned red".
"What's that mean?", Donna asks.
"Trouble. Come on. The Ood are harmless. They're completely benign. Except, the last time I met them, there was this force, like a stronger mind, powerful enough to take them over". Why don't I like the sound of stronger mind powerful enough to take them over?
"What sort of force?", I ask.
"Oh, long story", he shrugs.
Donna wants an answer. "Long walk".
"It was the Devil", the Doctor says. I'm sure the long version of this story is equally weird.
"If you're going to take the mickey, I'll just put my hood back up", Donna glares at him.
"Must be something different this time, though. Something closer to home. Ah ha! Civilisation!", he says as we reach the top of the hill and look over.
He takes a slow, studying look at the base downhill and then starts to walk again, heading just there. Donna has her hood back up and is walking behind us.
"So you were hearing the song too".
"I guess. It was sad", I say.
"Sad, and giving you headaches again", he gives me the tilted-head worried look. "I don't like this".
"If it's about the laser...", I start.
"The laser", he repeats, nodding. "Really. You know how much I hate weapons and you got that thing working?", he says coldly.
I understand him, really. It's not like I don't remember what that thing did to him. "It's just a laser now. I got rid of all those horrible genetics features, trust me".
"Oh, well, fine then", he says bitterly. I bet he's regretting the moment he picked that thing up from the Valiant. "Still a weapon".
"Yeah, well, I'm not you. I can't get away with just... words... and a screwdriver. It's just for defending myself!", I protest. "Besides, I never saw you requisition Jack's gun, for that matter".
"You're not Jack", he says, looking away at the gate. I stand still.
"That sounds a bit sexist", I say. How it is that lately every time I talk to the Doctor we end up arguing?
"Zoe- for Pete's sake, Jack works for Torchwood", he corrects himself, turning to me again. "Besides, you have... other skills to get out of dangerous places - I do trust you. Tell you what. Looks like there's something going on here, let's split up. You go take a look around, Donna and I will join that... guided tour", he says, pointing to a girl with a clipboard.
"I'm not getting rid of the laser", I insist.
"Zoe", he says as I walk away, just as Donna joins him, looking between us, confused. "There's something interfering with your telepathic abilities, giving you headaches whenever someone tries to reach to your mind - and you're armed. Do you know how dangerous that is?".
facts for reviews, as usual:
-I really really really love Capaldi's outfit as it was presented. It's all British (it's been speculated that the coat is Paul Smith… awww) and even if it's been pointed out the boots are not Doc Martens, they still look like Doc Martens, how cool is that? However bad Moffat's writing could be I bet he'd be a great Doctor for this story too. Wonder if I should include him before season 8 starts… mmh.